opinion of Idolatry and how hee might come to know thâ—… the Aegiptian superstitions were to be abrogated 24. How Hermes openly confessed his progenitors error and yet bewailed the destruction of it 25. Of such things as may bee common in Angells and Men. 26. That all paganisme was fully contaiâ—…d in dead men 27. Of the honor that Christians giue to â—…he Martirs FINIS THE EIGHTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD. Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo vnto Marcellinus Of the questions of naturall Theologie to bee handled with the most excellent Philosophers CHAP. 1. NOw had wee need to call our wittes together in farre more exacte manner then we vsed in our precedent discourses for now wee are to haue to doe with the Theology called naturall nor deale wee against each fellow for this is neither the ciuill nor stage-theology the one of which recordes the gods filthy crimes and the other their more filthy desires and both shew â—…lls and not gods but against Philosophers whose very name a truely iâ—…ed professeth a loue of wisdome Now if GOD b bee wisdome as 〈◊〉 scripture testifieth then a true Philosopher is a louer of GOD. But 〈◊〉 the thing thus called is not in all men that boast of that name for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are called Philosophers are not louers of the true wisdome we must 〈◊〉 as wee know how they stand affected by their writings and with â—…te of this question in due fashion I vndertake not here to refute all â—…ophers assertions that concerne other matters but such onely as perâ—… Theology which e word in greeke signifieth speech of diuinity 〈◊〉 that kinde either but onely such as holding a deity respecting matâ—…â—…iall yet affirme that the adoration of one vnchangeable GOD sufâ—… vnto eternall life but that many such are made and ordained by him 〈◊〉 â—…red also for this respect For these doe surpasse Varro his opinion in 〈◊〉 at the truth for hee could carry his naturall Theology no farther 〈◊〉 world and the worldes soule but these beyond all nature liuing acâ—… a GOD creator not only of this visible world vsually called Heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of euery liuing soule also and one that doth make the reasonâ—… blessed by the perticipation of his incorporeall and vnchangeable 〈◊〉 that these Philosophers were called Platonists of their first founder Plato 〈◊〉 that none that hath heard of these opinions but knoweth L. VIVES Vâ—…y a name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisdomes loue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisdomes louer whose contrary is 〈◊〉 opposition to wisdome as Speusippus saith b Bee wisdome Wisdome the 7. Pâ—…o the Hebrewes chapter 1. Doe call the sonne the wisdome of the father by which hee â—…de the world c. The thing Lactantius holds this point strongly against the Philosophers 〈◊〉 â—…eins hath an elegant saying I hate saith hee the men that are idle indeede and Phiâ—…all in word But many haue handled this theme d All that A different reading all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pâ—…rpose e Word in greekâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speech or discourse or reason concerning GOD 〈◊〉 is all these Of the two kinds of Philosophers Italian and Ionian and of their authors CHAP. 2. VVHerefore concerning this Plato as much as shall concerne our purpose I will speake in briefe with a remembrance of such as before him held the same positions The greeke monuments a language the most famous of all the nations doe record a two kinds of Philosophers th' Italian b out of that part of Italy which was whilom called Magna Grecia and the c Ionian in the country now called Greece The Italian had their originall from d Pythagoras of Samos e who also was the first author they say of the name of Philosophers For whereas they were before called wise men that professed a reformed course of life aboue the rest hee beeing asked what hee professed answered hee was a Philosopher that is a louer and a longer after wisdome but to call himselfe a wise man hee held a part of too great arrogance But the Ionikes were they whose chieÌ„fe was f Thales Milesius g one of the seauen Sages But the h other sixe were distinguished by their seuerall courses of life and the rules they gaue for order of life But Thales to propagate his doctrine to succession searched into the secrets of nature and committing his positions vnto monuments and letters grew famous but most admired hee was because hee got the knowledge of k Astrologicall computations and was able to prognosticate the eclipses of Sunne and Moone yet did hee thinke that all the world was made of l water that it was the beginning of all the elements and all thereof composed m Nor did hee teach that this faire admired vniuerse was gouerned by any diuine or mentall power After him came n Anaximander his scholler but hee changed his opinion concerning the natures of things holding that the whole world was not created of one thing as Thales held of water but that euery thing had originall from his proper beginnings which singular beginnings hee held to be infinite that infinit worlds were thereby gotten all which had their successiue original continuance and end o nor did he mention any diuine minde as rector of any part hereof This man left p Anaximenes his scholler and successor who held all things to haue their causes from the q infinite ayre but hee professed their was gods yet made them creatures of the ayre not creators thereof But r Anaxagoras his scholler first held the diuine minde to bee the efficient cause of all things visible out of an infinite matter consisting of s vnlike partes in themselues and that euery kinde of thing was produced according to the Species but all by the worke of the diuine essence And t Diogenes another of Anaximenes his followers held that the u ayre was the substance producing all things but that it was ayded by the diuine essence without which of it selfe it could doe nothing To Anaxagoras succeeded x Archelaus and y hee also held all things to consist of this dissimilitude of partes yet so as there was a diuine essence wrought in them by dispersing and compacting of this z consonance and dissonance This mans scholler was a Socrates Plato his Maister for whose sake I haue made this short recapitulation of these other L. VIVES TWo a kindes The sects of Philosophers at first were so great in Greece that they were distinguished by the names of the Seigniories they liued in One of Italy the country where Phythagoras the first Maister of one opinion taught another of Ionia Thales his natiue soile wherein Miletum standeth called also saith Mela Ionia because it was the chiefe Citty of that country So did Plato and Aristotle distinguish such as were of more antiquity then these b Out of that part At Locris saith Pliny beginneth the coast of that part of Italy called Magna Grecia it is extended into three bares and confronteth the Hadriatique sea now
Abraham was borne in a part of Chaldaea which belonged a vnto the Empire of the Assyrians And now had superstition got great head in Chaldaea as it had all ouer else so there was but onely the house of Thara Abrahams father that serued God truly and by all likelyhood kept the Hebrew tongue pure though that as Iosuah telleth the Hebrewes as they were Gods euident people in Egipt so in Mesopotamia they fell to Idolatry all Hebers other sonnes becomming other nations or beeing commixt with others Therefore euen as in the deluge of waters Noahs house remained alone to repaire man-kinde so in this deluge of sinne and superstition Thares house onely remained as the place wherein GODS Cittie was planted and kept And euen as before the deluge the generations of all from Adam the number of yeares and the reason of the deluge being all reckoned vp before God began to speake of building the Arke the Scripture saith of Noah These are the generations of Noah euen so here hauing reckoned all from Sem the sonne of Noah downe vnto Abraham hee putteth this to the conclusion as a point of much moment These are the generations of Thara Thara begot Abraham Nachor and Aram And Aram dyed before b his father Thara in the land wherein hee was borne being a part of Chaldaea And Abraham and Nachor tooke them wiues the name of Abrahams wife was Sarah and the name of Nachors wife was Melca the daughter of Aram who was father both to Melca and Iesea whome some hold also to be Sara Abrams wife L. VIVES WHich a belonged For Mela Pliny Strabo and others place Chaldaea in Assyria And 〈◊〉 onely a part of that Assyria which the ancient writers called by the name of Syâ—… 〈◊〉 countrie but of that Assyria also which Strabo calles the Babilonian Assyria 〈◊〉 maketh a difference betweene Syria and Assyria Cyropaed 1. b Before In his faâ—… 〈◊〉 So all interpretours take it Augustine might perhaps vnderstand it before his 〈◊〉 to Charra which is part of Chaldaea Charrah was a citty in Mesopotamia where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 killed Crassus the Romaine generall â—…hy there is no mention of Nachor Tharas sonne in his departure from Chaldaea to Mesopotamia CHAP. 13. 〈◊〉 the Scripture proceedeth and declareth how Thara and his family left â—…ldaea and came a into Mesopotamia and dwelt in Charra But of his 〈◊〉 â—…chor there is no mention as if he had not gone with him Thus saith the 〈◊〉 Thus Thara tooke Abraham his sonne and Lot his grand-child Abraâ—… 〈◊〉 and Sara his daughter in law his sonne Abrahams wife and hee led them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 countrey of Chaldaea into the land of Canaan and hee came to Charra and 〈◊〉 there Here is no word of Nachor nor his wife Melcha But afterward 〈◊〉 Abraham sent his seruant to seeke a wife for his sonne Isaac wee finde it 〈◊〉 thus So the seruant tooke ten of his maisters Camels and of his Maisters 〈◊〉 â—…th him and departed and went into Mesopotamia into the citty of Nachor â—…ce and others beside doe prooue that Nachor went out of Chaldaea alâ—…â—…led him-selfe in Mesopotamia where Abraham and his father had dwelt 〈◊〉 not the Scriptures then remember him when Thara went thence to 〈◊〉 where when it maketh mention both of Abraham and Lot that was 〈◊〉 â—…and-childe and Sara his daughter in lawe in this transmigration what 〈◊〉 thinke but that hee had forsaken his father and brothers religion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldees superstition and afterward either repenting for his fact 〈◊〉 â—…secuted by the countrie suspecting him to bee hollow-harted deparâ—… him-selfe also for Holophernes Israels enemy in the booke of Iudith 〈◊〉 what nation they were and whether hee ought to fight against them 〈◊〉 answered by Achior captaine of the Ammonites Let my Lord heare the 〈◊〉 mouth of his seruant and I will show thee the truth concerning this people 〈◊〉 these mountaines and there shall no lye come out of thy seruants mouth 〈◊〉 come out of the stock of the Chaldaeans and they dwelt before in 〈◊〉 â—…ia because they would not follow the Gods of their fathers that 〈◊〉 â—…us in the land of Chaldaea but they left the way of their ancestors 〈◊〉 the God of heauen whom they knew so that they cast them out from 〈◊〉 their gods and they fled into Mesopotamia and dwelt there many 〈◊〉 their God commanded them to depart from the place where they 〈◊〉 to goe into the land of Chanaan where they dwelt and so forth as 〈◊〉 Ammonite relateth Hence it is plaine that Thara his family were perâ—… the Chaldaeans for their religion because they worshipped the true 〈◊〉 God L. VIVES Mesopotamia Mesopotamia quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betweene two seas for it lay all beâ—… 〈◊〉 and Euphrates Of the age of Thara who liued in Charra vntill his dying day CHAP. 14. THara dyed in Mesopotamia where it is said hee liued two hundred and fiue yeares and after his death the promises that God made to Abraham began to be manifested Of Thara it is thus recorded The dayes of Thara were two hundred and fiue yeares and hee dyed in Charra Hee liued not there all this time you must thinke but because he ended his time which amounted vnto two hundred and fiue yeares in that place it is said so Otherwise wee could not tell how many yeares he liued because we haue not the time recorded when he came to Charra and it were fondnesse to imagine that in that Catalogue where all their ages are recorded his onely should bee left out for whereas the Scripture names some and yet names not their yeares it is to bee vnderstood that they belong not to that generation that is so lineally drawne downe from man to man For the stem that is deriued from Adam vnto Noah and from him vnto Abraham names no man without recording the number of his yeares also Of the time vvherein Abraham receiued the promise from God and departed from Charra CHAP. 15. BVt whereas wee read that after Thara's death the Lord said vnto Abraham Gette thee out of thy countrey and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house c. Wee must not thinke that this followed immediately in the times though it follow immediately in the scriptures for so wee shall fall into an b inextricable doubt for after these words vnto Abraham the Scripture followeth thus So Abraham departed as the Lord spake vnto him and Lot vvent vvith him and Abraham vvas seauentie fiue yeares old vvhen hee vvent out of Charra How can this be true now if Abraham went not out of Charra vntill after the death of his father for Thara begot him as wee said before at the seauentith yeare of his age vnto which adde seauentie fiue yeares the age of Abraham at this his departure from Charra and it maketh a hundred forty fiue yeares So old therefore was Thara when Abraham departed from Charra that citty of Mesopotamia for
and in my selfe avowed Moreouer as they tell that haue tryed you are open-handed hearted to such kind of presents then which scarse any may be more welcome to you For who should offer you gold filuer or gems garments horses or armoâ—… should power water into the sea and bring trees to the wood And truely as in all other thinges so in this you do most wisely to thinke that glory beseeming your vertue and deserts is purchased with al posterity by bookes monumeÌ„ts of learned men if not by mine or those like me yet surely by shewing your selfe affable and gratious to learned men you shall light vpon some one by whose stile as a most conning pencill the picture of that excellent and al-surmounting minde purtraied and polished may be commended to eternity not to bee couered with the rust of obliuion nor corrupted by iniury of after ages but that posterity an vncorrupted witnesse of vertues should not be silent of what is worthy to bee spoken of both to the glory of your selfe when you are restored to heauen though that be the best and best to be regarded and also which is principall and most to be aspired to the example of them that shall then liue Besides all this this worke is most agreeable to your disposition and studies wherein Saint AVGVSTINE hath collected as in a treasury the best part of those readings which hee had selected in the ancient authors as ready to dispute with sharpest wits best furnished with choisest eloquence and learning Whereby it is fallne out that he intending another point hath preserued the reliques of some the best things whose natiue seate and dwelling where they vsed to be fet and found was fouly ouerturned And therfore some great men of this later age haue bin much holpen by these writings of AVGVSTINE for VARRO SALVST LIVY and TVLLIE de republica as HERMOLAVS POLITIANVS BLONDVS BEROALDVS all which you shal so read not as they were new or vnheard-of but recognize them as of old Adde herevnto that you and Saint AVGVSTINES point and purpose in writing seeme almost to intend attaine the same end For as you wrote for that better Rome against Babylon so Saint AVGVSTINE against Babylon defended that ancient christian and holier Rome This worke not mine but Saint AVGVSTINES by whom I am protected is also sutable vnto your greatnesse whether the author bee respected or the matter of the worke The author is AVGVSTINE good GOD how holy how learned a man what a light what a leane to the christian common-wealth on whom onely it rested for many rites many statutes customes holy and venerable ceremonies and not without cause For in that man was most plentifull study most exact knowledge of holy writ a sharpe and cleare iudgement a wit admirably quick and piercing He was a most diligent defender of vndefiled piety of most sweet behauior composed and conformed to the charity of the Gospell renowned and honored for his integrity and holinesse of life all which a man might hardly prosecute in a full volume much lesse in an Epistle It is well I speake of a writer knowne of all and familiar to you Now the worke is not concerning the children of Niobe or the gates of Thebes or mending cloathes or preparing pleasures or manuring grounds which yet haue beene arguments presented euen to Kings but concerning both Citties of the World and GOD wherein Angells deuills and all men are contained how they were borne how bred how growne whether they tend and what they shall doe when they come to their worke which to vnfold hee hath omitted no prophane nor sacred learning which hee doth not both touch and explane as the exploites of the Romanes their gods and ceremonies the Philosophers opinions the originall of heauen and earth of Angells deuills and men from what grounds Gods people grew and how thence brought along to our LORD CHRIST Then are the Two Citties compared of GOD and the World and the Assyrian Sicyonian Argiue Attick Latine and Persian gouernments induced Next what the Prophets both Heathenish and Iewish did foretell of CHRIST Then speaking of true felicity he refuteth and refelleth the opinions of the ancient Philosophers concerning it Afterwards how CHRIST shall come the iudge of quick and dead to sentence good and euill Moreouer of the torments of the damned Lastly of the ioyes and eternally felicity of Godly men And all this with a wonderfull wit exceeding sharpenesse most neate learning a cleare and polisht stile such as became an author trauersed and exercised in all kinde of learning and writings and as beseemed those great and excellent matters and fitted those with whom hee disputed Him therefore shall you read most famous and best minded King at such houres as you with-draw from the mighty affaires and turmoiles of your kingdome to employ on learning and ornaments of the minde and withall take a taste of our Commentaries whereof let mee say as Ouid sayd of his bookes de Faestis when he presented them to GERMANICVS CaeSAR A learned Princes iudgement t' vnder goe As sent to reade to Phaebus our leaues goe Which if I shall finde they dislike not you I shall not feare the allowance of others for who will be so impudent as not to bee ashamed to dissent from so exact a iudgement which if any dare doe your euen silent authority shall yet protect me Farewell worthiest King and recon VIVES most deuoted to you in any place so he be reconed one of yours From Louaine the seauenth of Iuly M. D. XXII AN ADVERTISMENT OF IOANNES LODOVICVS VIVES Of Ualentia DECLARING VVHAT Manner of people the Gothes were and how they toooke Rome WHERE AS AVGVSTINE TOOKE OCcasion by the captiuity of the Romaines to write of the Cittie of GOD to answer them which iniuriouslie slaundered the Christian Religion as the cause of those enormities and miseries which befell them It shall not be lost labour for vs sounding the depth of the matter to relate from the Originall what kinde of people the Gothes were how they came into Italie and surprized the Cittie of Rome ¶ First it is cleare and euident that the former age named those Getes whome the succeeding age named Gothes because this age adulterated and corrupted many of the ancient wordes For those two Poets to wit RVTILVS and CLAVDIAN when-soeuer they speake of the Gothes doe alwaies name Getes OROSIVS also in his Historie sayth the Getes who now are named Goths departing out of their Countrie with bagge and baggage leauing their houses emptie entred safely into the Romaine Prouinces with all their forces being such a people as ALEXANDER said were to be auoided PYRRHVS abhorred and CaeSAR shunned HIEROME vpon Genesis testifieth that the Gothes were named Getes of the learned in former time Also they were Getes which inhabited about the Riuer Ister as STRABO MELA PLINIE and others auerre possessing the Region adiacent a great part of it lying waste and vnmanured being
mortallitie what can their Atturneies their Orators say for them in this ruine of the Saguntines more then they said in that of Regulus only he was one man this a whole citty but perseuerance in faith was cause of both calamities For this faith would he returne to his foes and for this would not they turne to their foes Doth loyalty then greeue the goddes Or may vngratefull citties as well as men be destroyed and yet stand in their gods liking still Let them choose whether they like If the goddes bee angry at mens keeping of their faith lette them seeke faithlesse wretches to serue them But if they that serue them and haue their fauours bee neuer-the-lesse afflicted and spoiled then to what end are they adored VVherfore let them hold their tongues that thinke they lost their Citty because they lost their gods for though they had them all they might neuer-the-les not only complaine of misery but feele it at full as Regulus and the Saguntines did L. VIVES THe dissolution a of the Saguntines Liu. lib 21. Saguntum is a citty of that part of Spaine which is called Arragon a mile from our sea built and inhabited by the Zacynthi and the Ardeates saith Silius people that came into Spaine before the destruction of Troy It was made famous by the fall and true faith kept to the Romaines The ruines at this day doe shew the models of diuers ancient and most magnifical houses and diuers inscriptions monuments are to be seene there as yet It is called now in Spanish Moruedre the old wall belonging to the County iurisdiction of Valencia There is a peece of the Towre yet standing vpon the mountaine that diuides almost all Spaine Polib lib. 3. saith that it excelled al the citties in Spaine both for plenty populousnes arts military Hanibal hated it for sticking so to the Romains for it had done much hurt to the Carthaginian consederats in Spain so he made war vppon it both to reuenge the wrongs it had done others and also to turne the whole aime of the war vpon the Romaines which he had desired most feruently euer since he was 9. yeares old b Here now some copies want Dii goddes but they are imperfect Glutton is vsed by Tully in an honest sence calling Cato a Glutton of Bookes De fin lib 3. c If the goddes Liuie lib. 26. Hanniball standing before the walles of Rome being now to throw warres dice at the citty it selfe a great tempest arose and parted the armies who were no sooner retired the one to their tents and the other into the Citie but immediatly it grew admirably faire and cleare And this happened the second day also both armies being in the field and staying but for the signall to ioyne battles Which Hanniball obseruing grew superstitious doubting the gods displeasure with him for staying there and so commanded the campe to remoue from thence Of Romes ingratitude to Scipio that freed it from imminent danger and of the conditions of the Cittizens in those times that Saluste commendeth to haue beene so vertuous CHAP. 21. FVrthermore in the space betweene the first and second Carthaginian warre when as Saluste saith the Romaines liued in all concord and content the remembrance of my theme makes me omitte much In those times of concord and content Scipio a that protector and raiser of his countrie the rare admirable ender of that so extreame so dangerous and so fatall a warre as that of Carthage was the conqueror of Hanniball the tamer of Carthage whose very youth is graced with all praises of b religiousnesse and diuine conuersation this man so great and so gratious was forced to giue place to the e accusations of his enemies to leaue his country which but for him had beene left to destruction and after his high heroicall triumph to bequeath the remainder of his dayes to the poore towne of d Linternum banishing all affect of his countrie so farre from him that it is said that he e gaue expresse charge at his death that his body should not in any case bee buried in that so vngratefull soyle of Rome f Afterwards in the triumph of Cn. Manlius vice-Consull ouer the Gallogrecians the g luxurie of Asia entred the worst foe Rome euer felt Guilded beds and pretious couerings gotte then their first ingresse Then began they to haue wenches to sing at their banquets and many other licentious disorders But I am to speake of the calamities that they suffered so vnwillingly not of the offences that they committed so lauishly And therefore what I spoâ—…e of Scipio that left his country for his enemies hauing first preserued it from vtter ruine and died a willing exile that was to our purpose to shew that the Romaine gods from whose temples he dâ—…aue Hanniball did neuer require him with any the least touch of temporall felicitie for which onely they are adored But because Saluste saith that Rome was so well mannered in those dayes I thought good to touch at this Asian luxurie that you might vnderstand that Saluste spoake in comparison of the after-times wherein discorde was at the highest floud and good manners at their lowest ebbe For then that is betweene the second and last African warre the h Voconian law was promulgate that none should make a woman his heyre no were shee his i onely daughter then which decree I can see nothing more barbarous and vniust But indeed the mischieues that the cittie suffered were not so many nor so violent in the space betwixt the two Punicke warres as they were at other times for though they felt the smarte of warre abroade yet they enioyed the sweet of victorie and at home they agreed better then they did in the times of securitie But in the last African warre by the onely valour of that Scipio that therefore was surnamed African that Cittie that compared and contended with Rome was vtterlye razed to duste and ruined And then brake in such an inundation of depraued conditions drawne into the state by securitie and prosperitie that Carthage might iustly be said to haue beene a more dangerous enemy to Rome in her dissolution then shee was in her opposition And this continued vntill Augustus his time who me thinkes did not abridge the Romaines of their liberty as of a thing which they loued and prised but as though they had vtterly despised it and left it for the taking Then reduced be all things vnto an imperiall command renewing and repairing the common-weale that was become all moth-eaten and rusty with age vice and negligence I omitte the diuerse and diuersly arising contentions and battels of all this whole time that league of k Numance stained with so foule an ignominie where the l chickens flew out of their cages as presaging some great ill luck they say vnto Mancinus then Consull so thaâ—… it seemed m that little cittie that had plagued the Romaine armie that besieged it so many yeares did now begin to be a
called Golfo De Venetia which the Grecians vsed oftentimes to crosse ouer I wonder that sâ—…e haue held al Italy to be called so because Pliny doth write thus What haue the Greciaâ—…s a most vanie-glorious nation shewne of themselues in calling such a part of Italy Magna Grecia Great Greece Whereby hee sheweth that it was but a little part of Italy that they 〈◊〉 thus Of the 3. baies I spoke of one of them containes these fiue Citties Tarentum Meâ—…us Heraclea Croto and Turii and lieth betweene the promontories of Sales and Laâ—… Mela. It is called now Golfo di Taranto Here it is said Pythagoras did teach c Ioâ—… Ionia is a country in Asia Minor betweene the Lydians the Lycaonians and our sea â—…ing Aeolia and Caria on the sides this on the South-side that on the North Miletus is the â—…se Citty saith Mela both for all artes of warre and peace the natiue soile of Thales the â—…sopher Tymotheus the Musician Anaximander the Naturalist and diuers other whose wâ—…s haue made it famous Thales taught his fellow cittizen Anaximander he his fellow cittizen also Anaximenes hee Anaxagoras of Clazomene Pericles Archelaus and Socrates of Athens and Socrates almost all Athens d Pythagoras Aristoxenus saith hee was of Tyrrheâ—… in â—…e that the Greekes tooke from the Italians hee went into Egipt with King Amasis and râ—…ng backe disliking the tyrannous rule of Polycrates of Samos hee passed ouer to Italy â—…y who also Cicero Tnsc. 5. out of Heraclides of Pontus relateth that Pythagoras beeing â—…ked of Leontes the Phliasian King what hee professed hee answered that whereas the rest of his prosâ—… had called themselues wise men Sophi hee would bee called But a louer of wisdome a Pâ—…pher with a more modest respect of his glory And herevpon the name Sophi grew quite â—…of custome as ambitious and arrogant and all were called Philosophers after that foâ—… indeâ—… the name of wise is Gods peculiar onely f Thales The first Naturalist of Greece 〈◊〉 first yeare of the 35. Olympiad after Apollodorus his account in Laertius g 〈◊〉 A sort of youthes hauing bought at a venture a draught of the Milesian fishers 〈◊〉 â—…awne vp a tablet of gold they fell to strife about it each would haue had it so vnto 〈◊〉 his oracle they went who bad them giue it vnto the wise So first they gaue it vnâ—… 〈◊〉 whom the Ionians held wise he sent it vnto another of the seauen and hee to anâ—… and so till it came to Solon who dedicated it to Apollo as the wisest indeed And these 〈◊〉 had the same of wisdome ouer all Greece and were called the seauen Sages h The otâ—… Chilo of Lecedaemon Pittacus of Mitilene Bias of Priene Cleobulus oâ—… Lindus Periâ—… â—…orynthe and Solon of Athens of these at large in the eighteenth booke i Comâ—… 〈◊〉 Some say that the Astrology of the Saylers was his worke others ascribe it vnto Râ—…â—…f â—…f Samos Laban the Argiue saith he wrote 200. verses of Astrology k Astrologiâ—… Endâ—…s saith hee presaged the eclipses Hist. Astrolog Amongst the Greeks saith Pliny lib. 〈◊〉 Thales in the fourth yeare of the 48. Olympiade was the first that found their 〈◊〉 of eclipses and prognosticated that which fell out in King Halliattes time in the â—…XX yeare after the building of Rome So saith Eusebius and Cicero de diuinat lib. 1. Whâ—…e for Haliattes he writeth Astiages But they liued both at one time and had warres one â—…ith another l Water As Homere calls the sea father of all Plutarch in Placit Philos and oâ—…e giue Thales his reason because the seede of all creatures animate is moist and so is all â—…nt Nay they held that the seas moisture nourisheth and increaseth the stars m Nor did 〈◊〉 Velleius in Tully affirmeth that Thales thought all things to bee made of water and 〈◊〉 the essence that was the cause of all their production is God and Laertius saith that hee 〈◊〉 all things full of Daemones and beeing asked whether the gods knew not a mans euill â—…ds Yes said he and thoughts too But this proues Gods knowledge onely and noâ—… his operation to be auouched by him n Anaximander A Milesian also but not hee that wrote the Histories He held an infinite element was the substance of the production of all things but â—…er shewed whether it was fiery ayry earthly or watry Hee held besides that the partes of 〈◊〉 infinite thinÌ„g were successiuely changed but that the whole was imâ—…utable Aristot. Pluâ—… 〈◊〉 Euseb. o Nor did he Herein Plutarch reprehendeth him for finding the mattâ—… and â—…t the efficient cause For that infinite element is the matter but without some efficient cause it can doe nothing But Tully saith that hee affirmed that there were naturall gods farre distance East and West and that these were their inumerable worlds De nat deor lib. 1. So that these contraries their originall and there efficient are all one namely that eternall cold and heate as Euseb â—…e prâ—…par Euang. saith and Aristotle intymateth Phys. lib. 1. p Anaximenes Sonne to Eurystratus a Mâ—…lesian also borne Olympiad 64. He died in the yeare of Craesus his ouerthrow as Apollodorus counteth q Infinite ayre Infinite saith Eusebius in kinde but not in qualities of whose condensation and rarefaction all things haue their generation Hee held the ayre god generated infinite and eternally mouing The stars the Sunne and the Moone were created hee held of the earth Cicero r Anaxagoras Borne at Clazomene a towne in Ionia he died Olymp. 88. beeing 62. yeares of age His worke saith Plutarch and Laertius beganne thus There was one vniuersall masse an essence came and disioyned it and disposed it For hee held a matter or masse including infinite formes of creation and parcells of contraries and others all confused together which the diuine essence did compose and seperate and so made flesh of many parcells of flesh of bones bone and so of the rest yet are these other parcells formally extant in the whole as in their bones there is parcells of flesh and fire and sinewes c. For should bread or meate giue encrease to a bone or the bloud vnlesse there were seedes or little parcells of bone and bloud in the bread though from their smallenesse they be inuifible Arist. Plutarch Laertius s Vnlike Or like either is right For as Aristotle saith Anaxagoras held infinite partes in euery body both contrary and correspondent which hee called Homogenia or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 similaria like Symilarities Gaza translateth it For in bodies they are partes that are similare as in fire water flesh bone c. and here the name of each part is the name of the whole each drop of water is water and each bit of flesh is flesh and so of the rest then are there also partes dissimilar as in a man an horse and so forth wherein are parts seuerally called as bones nerues bloud skin and such
then either Architas or Timeus d 〈◊〉 Africans bordring on the Ocean Atlas was the first King brother to Saâ—… 〈◊〉 to Caelus A great Astronomer Hee taught his Sonne Hesperus and many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for hee had seauen daughters all married to the Heroës that had Sonnes 〈◊〉 â—…ous then the Parents Hee taught diuers of the vulgar also whence the 〈◊〉 Libia where Hercules learnt it and disputed of it e Egiptians Their Philosophy 〈◊〉 but most part from Chaldea chiefely from Abraham though they as Diodoâ—…â—…ibe â—…ibe it to Isis and Osiris Uulcan Mercury and Hercules How euer sure it is 〈◊〉 Philosophy was diuine and much false and filthy f Indians There Philosoâ—…â—…ed Brachmans of whome read Philostratus his Uita Apollon Thyan and Straâ—… 〈◊〉 of Alexander the Macedonian his conquests g Persians They had the 〈◊〉 Zoroaster taught h Cladaees The chiefe Astrologians and diuinators of the 〈◊〉 â—…e read Diodorus lib. 3. i Scythians Their Philosophers whilom contended 〈◊〉 â—…tians for antiquity a nation valiant plaine iust harmelesse doing more by naâ—…â—…en Greece with all her laborious discipline k Galles or Frenchmen They had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caesar Comment Gallic Bell. and Poets also which were both Philosophers and 〈◊〉 Saronidae Dio. l. 6. they had also the wisards that the people came vnto for trifles No 〈◊〉 â—…gst them might be offered without a Philosopher that was a Naturalist diuine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these ruled all in all places Their Druides as Strabo saith lib. 4. were both 〈◊〉 â—…d Moralists l Spaniards In Spaine before siluer and gold were found there was 〈◊〉 â—…ny Philosophers and the people liued wounderfull religiously euery society had 〈◊〉 â—…y the yeare chosen out of the most learned and iudicious ranke of men equity 〈◊〉 â—…or of iustice then without lawes clangor yet the Turdetani now called the 〈◊〉 had certaine wounderfull old lawes written few or no controuersies were 〈◊〉 and those that were did either concerne vertuous emulation the reasons of 〈◊〉 gods of good manners or of some such theames which the learned disputed of 〈◊〉 and called the women to bee auditors Afterwards certaine mountaines that 〈◊〉 â—…all within brake out and burned and the melted gould and siluer left adâ—… such fine â—…uffes in mens mindes so shewing this to the Phaenicians who were 〈◊〉 â—…erall marchants of the world they bartered of their mettalls away to them for 〈◊〉 â—…o value The Phaenicians spying this gaine acquainted diuers of the Asians and 〈◊〉 therewith and so came often thether with a multitude of men sometimes with 〈◊〉 and otherwhiles with but two or three Marchants shippes Now many either 〈◊〉 â—…e and the soyle or else louing gold better then their gods set vp their rests in 〈◊〉 â—…d by one tricke or other found meanes to contract alliance with others and then 〈◊〉 â—…y to send Colonyes into Spaine out of all Asia and the Iles adiacent and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their villenies amongst the filly ignorant soules Then began the Spaniards to 〈◊〉 â—…ir owne wealth to fight to prey one vpon another first priuately and soone after in whole armies afterward to flat nations warre waged vnder alien leaders the Phâ—…nicians aâ—… first the authors both of their present and future misfortunes Then good manners got them gone equity was sent packing away and lawes came vp together with digging of mettaâ—…s and other traffiques so that farewell Philosophy and all artes grew almost to vtter ruine 〈◊〉 they were not written but onely passed by tradition from mouth to eare But that which remained of theeÌ„ was renewed by some wel-wishing wits in the time of the Romaine peace bâ—… first the Gothes and afterward the Saracins rooted them vtterly from amongst the vulgaâ—… There is an old memorial extant of the ancient times written in greek and Latine I hope by 〈◊〉 to illustrate the original of any natiue couÌ„try m Of the elements That is such as conceiue to further theÌ„ the elements such as think them the orignalls of al neuer leaue GOD any thing to doe whose will disposeth all things n For that which is knowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sath the greeke o His inuisible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is both Creation and the thing created Vâ—… thinketh that this inuisibility is meant of the fome and fabrik of heauen and earth according to that of the Psalme The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth the workes of his hands And we find Aristotle and many more to gather by the world externall shape of the world that there is a God that hath a prouidence and care of the world and the same they gather by the course and motion of times by the order of our life and of the whole vniuerse wherein such things could not be done but by that most wise and glorious gouernor oâ—… the said vniuerse Augustine translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constitutions to make it imply that men may conceiue the secrets of GOD by his workes euen from the worlds first constitution to perswade vs that this knowledge had existence before Christ his comming or Moyses lawe eueâ—… from the first creation of the world And this me thinkes is nearest vnto Pauls minde whom this place disputeth against the Philosophers telling them that when or where euer they liue they may finde a god the gouernor and father of all vniuersity and that for so followes the sequele and that by the workes which he hath made may his inuisibility bee certainly gathered p Eternall vertue Not onely his secret wisdome and iustice but his illustrious deity and power vnlesse you take away And so and let the rest depend vpon the former for the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying coniunction was the cause that qoqque was thrust into the Latine interpretatation q In him we liue The ancients called GOD the life that is diffused throughout the vniuerse and the aire also so that this is true howsoeuer that in him wee liue wee moue and haue our beeing Aratus also said that al waies courts hauens and all places and things were full of Ioue which his interpretor attributeth to the ayre r In which place The Romaines and Greekes worshipped mens statues for gods the Egiptians beasts What the excellence of a religious Christian is in these Philosophicall artes CHAP. 10. NOw if a christian for want of reading cannot vse such of their words as fits disputations because hee neuer heard them or cannot call that part thaâ—… treates of nature either naturall in Latine or physicall in Greeke nor that thaâ—… inquires the truth rationall or Logicall nor that which concernes rectifying of manners and goodnesse of ends Morall or Ethicall yet thence it followes not that he knowes not that from the true God is both Nature whereby hee made vs like his Image Reason wherby we know him and Grace wherby we are blessed in beeing vnited to him This then is the cause why wee prefer these
and the elder to the worlds The yonger had twelue sonnes one whereof called Ioseph his brothers solde vnto Marchants going into Egipt in their grand-father Isaacs time Ioseph liued by his humility in great fauour and aduancement with Pharao being now thirty yeares old For he interpreted the Kings dreames fore-telling the seauen plentious yeares and the seauen deare ones which would consume the plenty of the other and for this the King set him at liberty being before imprisoned for his true chastity in not consenting to his lustfull mystresse but fled and left his raiment with her who here-vpon falsly complained to her husband of him and afterwards hee made him Vice-roye of all Egypt And in the second yeare of scarcity Iacob came into Egipt with his sonnes being one hundred and thirty yeares old as he told the King Ioseph being thirty nine when the King aduanced him thus the 7. plentifull yeares and the two deare ones being added to his age L. VIVES MEssappus a Pausanias nameth no such saying Leucyppus had no sonne but Chalcinia one daughter who had Perattus by Neptune whom his grand-father Leucippus brought vp and left inthroned in his kingdome Eusebius saith Mesappus reigned forty seauen yeares If 〈◊〉 were Mesappus then doubtlesse it was Calcinias husband of whom mount Mesappus in Baeotia and Mesapia otherwise called Calabria in Italy had their names Virgil maketh him Neptunes sonne a tamer of horses and invulnerable Aeneid 7. b Cephisus A riuer in Boeotia in whose banke standeth the temple of Themis the Oracle that taught Deucalion and Pyrrha how to restore mankinde It runnes from Pernassus thorow the countries of Boeotia and the Athenian territory And Mesappus either had his names from this riuer and that 〈◊〉 or they had theirs from him or rather most likely the mount had his name and hee had the riuers because it ranne through his natiue soile c Apis Hee is not in Pausanias amongst the Argiue kings but amongst the Sycionians and was there so ritch that all the countrey within Isthmus bare his name before Pelops came But Eusebius out of the most Greekes seateth him in Argos Of Apis the Argiue King called Serapis in Egipt and there adored as a deity CHAP. 5. AT this time did Apis king of Argos saile into Egipt and dying there was called Serapis the greatest God of Egipt The reason of the changing his name saith Varro is this a dead mans coffin which all do now call b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also in Greeke so at first they worshipped at his coffin and tombe ere his temple were built calling him at first Sorosapis or Sorapis and afterwards by change of a letter as is ordinary Serapis And they made a lawe that who-soeuer should say hee had beene a man should dye the death And because that in all the c temples of Isis and Serapis there was an Image with the finger laid vpon the mouth as commanding silence this was saith Varro to shew them that they must not say that those two were euer mortall And d the Oxe which Egypt being wonderously and vainly seduced e nourished in all pleasures and fatnesse vnto the honor of Serapis because they did not worship him in a 〈◊〉 was not called Serapis but Apis which Oxe being dead and they seeking 〈◊〉 and finding another flecked of colour iust as hee was here they thought they had gotten a great God by the foote It was not such an hard matter â—…deed for the deuills to imprinte the imagination of such a shape in any Cowes phantasie at her time of conception to haue a meane to subuert the soules of men and the Cowes imagination would surely model the conception into such a forme as g Iacobs ewes did and his shee goates by seeing the party-colored stickes for that which man can doe with true collours the Diuell can do with apparitions and so very easily frame such shapes L VIVES AT a this time Diodorus lib 1. reciteth many names of Osyris as Dionysius Serapis â—…e Ammon Pan Pluto Tacitus arguing Serapis his original saith that some thought him to be Aesculapius the Phisitian-god and others tooke him for Osyris Egypts ancient est deity lib. 20. Macrobius taketh him for the sunne and Isis for the earth Te Serapim Nilus 〈◊〉 Marlianus to the sunne Memphis veneratur Osyrim Nilus adoreth thee as serapis aâ—… Memphis as Osiris Some held Serapis the genius of Egypt making it fertile and abundant His statues saith Suidas Theophilus Archbishop of Alexandria tooke downe in the time of â—…odosius the great This god some called Ioue some Nilus because of the measure that he had in his hand and the cubite designing the measures of the water and some Ioseph Some â—…y there was one Apis a rich King of Memphis who in a great famine releeued all Alexandria at his proper cost and charges where-vpon they erected a Temple to him when hee was dead and kept an Oxe therein for a type of his husbandry hauing certaine spots on his backe and this Oxe was called by his name Apis. His tombe wherein he was buâ—…ed was remoued to Alexandria and so him-selfe of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Apis was called Sorapis and afterwards â—…pis Alexander built him a goodly temple Thus much out of Suidas and the like is in 〈◊〉 Eccles. Hist. lib. 11. The Argiues King saith Eusebius Prep lib. 10 out of Aristippus his â—…ry of Arcadia lib. 2. called Apis built Memphis in Egypt whome Aristeus the Argiue calleth Sarapis and this man we know is worshipped in Egypt as a god But Nimphodorus Amphipolitanus de legib Asiatic lib. 3. saith that the Oxe called Apis dying was put into a â—…ffin called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and so called first Sorapis and then Serapis The man Apis â—…s the third King after Inachus Thus farre Eusebius b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the deuâ—… of flesh Therefore Pausanias Porphyry Suidas and other Greekes call him not Sorapis but Sarapis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a chest an Arke or a coffin c Temples of Isis and Osyris were buried at Nâ—…a as some thinke sayth Diodorus lib. 1 A citty in Arabia where two pillers were erected for monuments one for her and another for him and epitaphs vpon them contayned their acts and inuentions But that which was in the Priests hands might neuer come to light for feare of reuealing the truth and dearely must hee pay for it that published it This God that laid his finger on his lips in signe of silence hight Harpocrates varro de ling lat lib. 3. where he affirmeth that Isis and Serapis were the two great Gods Earth and heauen This Harpocrates Ausonius calleth Sigalion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be silent Pliny and Catullus mencion him often when they note a silent fellow and his name is prouerbiall Plutarch lib. de â—…s Osyr saith hee was their sonne gotten by Osyris vpon